Feed rolls



Jan. 28, 1964 R. v. TATA 3,119,572

4 FEED ROLLS Filed April 6, 1961 'FIGB INVENTOR. RAYMOND V. TATA ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,119,572 FEED ROLLS Raymond V. Tata, Warwick, RJ., assigner to Leesona Corporation, Cranston, RJ., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 101,106 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-4108) The present invention relates to a textile machine and more particularly relates to `an improved feed roller assembly for use with such a machine.

In the following specification and claims the term yarn is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand materials, whether textile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to mean the product of a winding or twisting machine, whatever its form.

`One object of the present invention is to provide an improved feed roller assembly for use with a textile machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a feed roller assembly which permits rapid and eicient threading of a strand thereon.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-positioned feed roller assembly adapted to be set selectively for threading, free rotation, or driven rotation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a feed roller assembly which is simple and economical in loperation and durable and reliable in use.

lOther objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the construction combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a tfnller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, refe-rence should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary elevational View of a textile machine incorporating the present invention and illustrating a plurality of feed rollers set in yvarious positions;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of lthe present invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken generally along lines lill-III of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view -of the mounting bracket of the present invention.

The present invention provides an arrangement whereby a pair of feed rollers may be shifted to a position convenient for threading thereof, after which sa-id feed rollers maybe set in an intermediate position where they are disengaged from their driving means but are positioned -for free rotation by the yarn wrapped therearound without disturbing the position of the yarn thereon, and finally, the rollers may be easily engaged with their driving means.

Turning now to FIG. l of the drawing the present invention is illustrated, for convenience, in association with a textile machine of the type known in the textile art as an Uptwister adapted for false twisting yarn. In this connection a fragment of one end of the machine is shown as comprising an end stand 10 which provides support for one end of a beam 12 which extends longitudinally of the machine. A member 14 secured in end stand 410 and projecting lengthwise of the machine parallel t beam 12, provides support for a plurality of spindles A16, here shown to be of the twisting-untwisting variety. An endless driving belt 118 adapted for rotation by means not herein illustrated, but which may be an electric motor housed within end stand 10, is positioned adjacent spindles 16 and is adapted to be contacted by and to rotate said spindles. A driven shaft 20, suitably journaled in end stand 10, is beneath and parallel to member 14 and has a plurality of driving rolls 22 secured thereto to rotate cores 23 and packages P in a well known manner. Core 23 is mounted on a stub shaft 26 on swinging arm 2S in a well known manner.

A traversing rod 3G, extending parallel to shaft 20, carries a guide 32 iixedly thereon, one of said guides being set to receive a strand of yarn and traverse it from end to end of core 23. Thus, it will be apparent that as a strand of yarn is aixed to the core 23 and said core is rotated by `drive roll 22, yarn will be traversed and wound thereon to build a package P. A longitudinal guide bar 33 is fixed outwardly of traverse bar 30 and functions to receive the running strand of yarn Y and guide it into the guide 32 from the feed roller assembly.

Up to this point the description has been limited to the components of a twisting machine of a type commonly used in the textile art. Since this machine does not form a part of the present invention, but, rather, is presented to afford a complete understanding thereof, no further detailed description of said machine is deemed necessary or thought desirable herein.

Turning now to a detailed disclosure of the feed roller assembly of the present invention one such assembly is preferably employed for each winding or twisting station, or they may be employed in pairs, whereby one set of feed rollers is utilized to control the movement of the yarn into a processing zone and a second set is used to withdraw the yarn.

Referring again to the drawing, the feed roller assembly of the present invention is illustrated as mounted fast on beam 12. =For convenience, the feed roller assemblies are indicated in various operative positions spaced along beam `12h Viewing FIG. 1 the reference number 34a indicates feed rollers in their engaged position with the driving means from the textile machine. A feed roller assembly is shown in its intermediate running posit-ion at 34b, and in its threading position at 34C. While the drawing shows both a left and a right-handed feed roller, ie., [feed rollers projecting left or right from their respective mountings, it will be understood that these units are otherwise identical in construction, such arrangement being made solely for purposes of convenience of arrangement on the machine. It is, therefore, deemed to be sufiicient to describe but one of lsaid units, it being understood that, except for .orientation of the rollers with respect to their housings, the units are `otherwise identical. For mounting the feed roller assemblies on beam L2 a bracket 40, of generally U-shape, is secured by screws or a weld or the like to said beam i12 with the two parallel arms 42 and 44 of said bracket projecting forwardly from the beam generally in vertical alignment with spindle 16 but spaced upwardly therefrom. Arm 42 is provided with an ear 46 punched in the surface thereof and depending toward arm 44. In like manner, a second ear 48 is punched in arm y44 to extend generally upwardly toward arm 42. A tab Sti is formed about midway of the vertical section of bracket 4i) and extends forwardly to lie in a plane parallel to arms 42 and 44. A pendant 52 is attached to tab 50` by a stud 45 and a collar 47 pressed thereon. The lower sect-ion of pendant 52 is drilled through to receive a screw 54 which is held in position by a washer 56 and nut 58.

A pintle 60 passing through vertically aligned holes drilled in the outer extremities of arms 42 and 44 provides pivotal support for a f-rame member 62. Frame member 62 which may be cast as a unitary element has a pair of vertical axially aligned hubs 63 and 64 connected by a central web 6'5 for receiving pintle 60. Hub 64 is recessed at 66 to accommodate a combined torsion and compression spring 68 therein. The upper end 70 of spring 68 is engaged in the upper wall of hub 64 and its lower end 72 extends laterally 4to engage against ear 48. As best shown in FIG. 3 member 62 spans a substantial portion of the area between arms 42 and `44. However, it is to be noted that member 62 is somewhat shorter in its length than the distance between said arms 42 and 44. Spring 68 acts to urge said member 62 upwardly toward arm 42. Spring 68 is also tensioned to normally urge the member 62 in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 2.

A horizontal boss 74 extends outwardly from hub 64, said boss 74 being bored to receive a stub shaft 75 as by a press iit therein. Stub shaft 75 extends outwardly of boss 74 and is provided with suitable bearings 76 on which a guide roller 78 is rotatably mounted. A cap screw 80 and washer 82 serve to hold the guide roller 78 in place and a spacer washer 84 holds said roller from rubbing on boss 74.

A secondI horizon-tal boss 86 extends outwardly from hub 63 above and in substantial vertical alignment with boss 74. A stub shaft 88 is fitted tightly in a bore formed centrally through hub 86 and projects outwardly therefrom. A ball bearing unit 90 is press tted into hub 92 of a feed roller 94 and, in like manner, is pressed onto shaft 88 whereby the feed roller is rotatable on the unit 90. A screw 96 and spacer 98 are utilized to hold the feed roller 94 on shaft 88 and a larger diameter washer 100 may be provided between the screw 96 and spacer 98 to serve as a dust guard for the unit 90'. As will be seen in FIGS. l and 3, guide roller 78 and feed roller 94 are disposed in vertical alignment on their respective shafts 75 and 88. Furthermore, the axis of rollers 78, 94 are not parallel to each other but diverge from the parallel a slight amount, as is customary with feed rolls of this general type, to permit yarn wrapped several times around said rolls to space itself along their length. Guide roller 78 is an idler roll adapted to be rotated by a strand of yarn wrapped therearound. A spur gear 102 is formed integrally and in axial alignment with roller 94. A shaft 103 rotatably mounted in back of beam 12 carries a plurality of spaced gears 104 which project through suitable openings 105 in said beam 12 in a position to mesh with gear 102 to drive 4roller 94 when the noller assembly is pivoted rearwardly as will be explained more in detail hereinafter.

Projecting radially from hub 63 is a segment 106 having a pair of upwardly projecting latch teeth 108 and. 110 spaced approximately 70 apart thereon. Teeth 108 and 110 are aligned to contact ear 46 as member 62 is swivelled about pintle `60. Each of the -teeth 108 and 110 is provided with a sloping cam face on one side thereof as at 112 of tooth 10S and -at 114 of tooth 110. The sides 116 and 118 of teeth 108 and 110 opposite cam faces 112 and 114 are substantially perpendicular to the top surface of segment 106 thereby provided convenient walls against which ear 46 can bear to hold the assembly in a pre-set posi-tion.

As best illustrated in FlG. 2 an extension 120 of member 62 serves to support a guide 122 which acts to guide a running strand of yarn onto feed roller 94 and to limit its movement toward gear 102. Projecting oppositely of said guide 122 is a lever 124 which provides a convenient handle or grip to manipulate the apparatus.

The foregoing apparatus operates inthe following manner. The machine is threaded by drawing strand of yarn Y upwardly from a supply thereof, not shown, located at Athe base of the machine and snaked through spindle 16. At this point frame member 62 is swivelled in a horizontal path to the position shown at 34C whereby ear 46 is engaged with tooth 110. With frame 62 so positioned the axis of feed roller 94 and its campanion guide roller 7S are at right angles to that of drive gear 104, that is with their axes pointing forwardly. In :this position strand of yarn Y may be diverted from a true vertical path which represents its normal threadline from spindle 16 and wrapped readily about the rollers and thereafter drawn down over guide bar 33 and through traverse guide 32 to take-up package P. Prior to engaging the core 23 with its drive roll 22 the feed roller assembly is shifted through a horizontal path of about to its intermediate position 3417. Where the yarn Y `assumes a position from spindle 94 on a line more closely approximating its normal threadline from spindle 16. The assembly is so shifted by depressing lever 124 against the force of spring 68 permitting said spring 68 .to snap the unit horizontally and counterclockwise (see FIG. 2) to its intermediate position 34b with ear 46 bearing on tooth 108. It will be appreciated that in both the open threading position 34e and the intermediate position 34h gears 102 and 104 are not meshed so that roller 94 can be freely turned by the act of wrapping yarn around it when it is being threaded or while the yarn is being drawn through the machine by take-up package P. With the assembly in the intermediate position 34b the take-up core 23 is engaged with drive roll 22 and yarn is commenced to be laid on said core to wind a package P. It will be noted that at this juncture feed roller 94 is rotated by frictional contact of the yarn Y passing thereover. Due to the fact that the y-arn at this point is substantially aligned with its normal vertical threadline the yarn Y will pass over the rollers 94 and 78 and will not ride off over the ends of these rollers. When the yarn is running approximately at its full takeup speed lever 124 is pressed downward to release tooth 108 from ear 46. Spring 68 will thereupon swivel the assembly in a horizontal path so that spur gear 102 engages with drive gear 104 to positively drive feed roller 94, Screw 54 affords a stop for the assembly. As gear 102 is engaged with gear 104 screw 54 bears on the rear wall of extension and may be .set to control the degree of engagement of gears 102 and 104.

Whenever it becomes necessary to `disengage the feed roller 94 from its drive the assembly may be swivelled to the intermediate position 3417 or threading position 34C by moving lever 124 downwardly and swinging the assembly forwardly against the action of spring 68. Ear 46 will first ride up cam face 112 against the pressure of spring 68 and will fall in against wall 118 to hold the assembly in said intermediate position against the force of spring 68. Similarly, if the assembly is pivoted to its threading position ear 46 will ride over tooth 110 on cam face 114 and become engaged against wall 116 to hold the assembly in this position against the torsional force of spring 68.

Since certain changes may be made in the above described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus for feeding yarn to a take-up unit in a predetermined path comprising,

a roller about which said yarn is wrapped for feeding to said take-up unit,

means for driving said roller,

means for supporting said roller for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between a driving position engaged with said driving means and a threading position disengaged from said driving means,

a first detent for positioning said roller in said threading position whereby the yarn wrapped on said roller is deflected from said predetermined path and the yarn is prevented from being fed by said roller,

a second detent for positioning said roller in an intermediate position between said driving and said threading positions whereby said roller is disengaged from said driving means and said yarn engaged thereon approximates said predetermined path to afford passage of the yarn to said take-up unit, and

spring means for biasing said roller into said driving position to feed the yarn, said spring serving to urge said roller into engagement selectively With said first or said second detent. 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including an adjustable stop member for positioning said roller in said driV- 5 ing position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,284 Uytenbogaart Sept. 6, 1938 10 *wir 

1. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO A TAKE-UP UNIT IN A PREDETERMINED PATH COMPRISING, A ROLLER ABOUT WHICH SAID YARN IS WRAPPED FOR FEEDING TO SAID TAKE-UP UNIT, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID ROLLER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS BETWEEN A DRIVING POSITION ENGAGED WITH SAID DRIVING MEANS AND A THREADING POSITION DISENGAGED FROM SAID DRIVING MEANS, A FIRST DETENT FOR POSITIONING SAID ROLLER IN SAID THREADING POSITION WHEREBY THE YARN WRAPPED ON SAID ROLLER IS DEFLECTED FROM SAID PREDETERMINED PATH AND THE YARN IS PREVENTED FROM BEING FED BY SAID ROLLER, A SECOND DETENT FOR POSITIONING SAID ROLLER IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN SAID DRIVING AND SAID THREADING POSITIONS WHEREBY SAID ROLLER IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID DRIVING MEANS AND SAID YARN ENGAGED THEREON APPROXIMATES SAID PREDETERMINED PATH TO AFFORD PASSAGE OF THE YARN TO SAID TAKE-UP UNIT, AND SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING SAID ROLLER INTO SAID DRIVING POSITION TO FEED THE YARN, SAID SPRING SERVING TO URGE SAID ROLLER INTO ENGAGEMENT SELECTIVELY WITH SAID FIRST OR SAID SECOND DETENT. 